I have often wondered about grass clippings myself. Perhaps your thread could shed some light on that. Steve in Baltimore County.

I just use my own compost if it isn't all dug into the ground, or saved leaves from fall gathering that I shred fresh and ring around the root zone. Others have used straw with great success. A bale goes for about $15 here and goes a long, long way.

I would love to use grass clippings as we usually have excess, but I worry about it matting down and making watering difficult. It might work just fine.

Thankss for the response. I think I should take the wood chips out of there.
Pooch--somtime the grass clippings mat down after a rain and get hot, than mold. The grass has to be really dry.

As far as I'm concerned wood chips are a big earwig condo complex. I'll never put them by a dahlia again. I still have a pile of about 50 bushels sitting and waiting for a destination and the labor to move it all.

I use grass clippings all the time, only be sure to dry them out first. My dahlias grow in my vege garden, so I have time to do this, also in 100 degree weather it doesn't take long. Wish I was a wheat farmer where you are, I can't imagine paying $15 for a bale of straw. Straw that is certified weed free is $8 a bale here. My dahlias seem to grow slow this year. They were all planted at the same time, and some are blooming and some are not even 2 ft tall yet. This has been the year of crazy weather here, like other places I guess.

I've used a ring of shredded leaves and leaf mold. But next year I intend to use "Sweet Peat" as it really improves the soil.